British soccer star of the 1930s, 40s and 50s who in 1965 became the first in his sport to be knighted; nicknamed "Wizard of Dribble" for his ball-handling skills and "First Gentleman of Soccer" for his sportsmanship; won first European Football Player of the Year Award (1956); set up the last three goals in Blackpool's 4-3 victory over the Bolton Wanderers in the 1953 Football Association Cup final, a game remembered as "The Matthews Final"; made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1957); was reprimanded in 1968, while managing, for paying unauthorized signing bonuses to new players and giving them incentive payments for victories. The cause of his death was not given.